Sports Festival

This beautiful artwork was done by @Wattpearl. Link in comments to her original work for full admiration  / viewing. :) 

Welcome back to this feel-good story / borderline wish fulfillment. I hope this chapter will take away a bit of your stress.

Beta: emplatinum

◟(◕◡◕❀)

With a sigh I slid down into my seat beside Ochaco. "Oh man. What a start."

As soon as Present Mic announced it was time for an hour-long lunch break, I nearly collapsed with relief. Thankfully Ochaco slung an arm around my shoulders and began to guide me towards the cafeteria for some much needed food.

Ochaco rubbed my back. "There, there. It'll get better."

I gave her a withering look. "How many more games do you think they'll have?"

"Not sure. They're gonna do stuff for the people that didn't pass the first game though, so it'll give you a chance to rest."

"Oh, good," I sighed with relief. Then I tucked my wand back in my heart to give it a brief moment to recharge. "Still, I feel exhausted."

"Eat up, then. You'll need your strength," Ochaco told me.

"Yeah—hey, what happened to Izu-chan?" I asked, looking around. Izuku, Shōto, and Katsuki had disappeared shortly after they called for the lunch break.

"Not sure." Ochaco shrugged. "Oh, Momo-chan, come sit with us!"

Momo smiled immediately at Ochaco's offer and moved to set her lunch at our table. "I will, thanks. It's certainly crowded in here."

"No kidding," I said, then sighed again. "I really don't like crowds."

Resting my head on the table, I felt listless. My thoughts alternated between Shōto's odd demeanor, and the upcoming games. Ochaco rubbed my back again, but I didn't pay much attention to it.

'Why is Sho-chan mad at me?'

"Kiyo-chan."

I reluctantly looked back up to find Denki and Mineta casually standing at our table.

"What," I muttered.

"Well I'm sure you already know, since you're the class rep," Mineta began, "but they said everyone has to wear those clothes to do a cheer battle in the afternoon."

I stared at him, then glanced over at the cheerleaders he pointed towards.

Momo frowned. "I didn't hear anything about an event like that though, did you, Kiyo-chan?"

"No, but Shishō wanted to keep a lot of things as a surprise for me. This might have been one of those things," I grumbled. "Shoot. Where are we supposed to get outfits like that?"

"Eh? You mean you didn't bring them? Uh oh," Denki commented.

"I can probably make them. Let me eat real quick and I'll get started," Momo offered.

"Thanks Momo-chan."

"Mn."

Then I put my face back onto the table and sighed. Ochaco made a tsk'ing sound and squeezed my nose. I reflexively gasped for air with my mouth and she took that moment to shove some spinach in it.

I munched on the food, closing my eyes and resisting the urge to sigh again.

"Ah, are you still upset about Todoroki-kun?" Momo inquired gently. I half-opened my eyes, peering up at her. Momo's brow was creased with concern, and a frown tugged down on her lips. Ochaco placed more spinach in my mouth before I could respond, though.

Then Kyōka sat beside Momo, placing a chocolate cupcake in front of me. "Here. Chocolate makes everything better."

I couldn't resist giving a small smile at that, and I lifted my head and grabbed the cupcake. "Thanks Kyōka-chan; and to answer your question, Momo-chan: kind of. I'm definitely worried about him, but I'm also exhausted. I've really put a drain on my wand today."

Momo nodded her head sympathetically. "I can understand a bit of that. My Quirk always makes me ravenous."

Ochaco offered up more spinach to me and I took it from her chopsticks, munching on the raw vegetable. "Thanks, Ocha-chan... and thanks for your concerns, Momo-chan, Kyōka-chan."

Kyōka rested her head in her hand, raising an eyebrow. "So no clue what's got your boyfriend's panties in a twist?"

"He's not my boyfriend," I corrected her.

"Yet," Ochaco added with a smirk.

"I'm not sure why he's upset," I answered Kyōka, ignoring Ochaco's smug look. "He was okay yesterday, so something probably happened last night, or early this morning. I'm sure once the festival is over we'll get our chance to talk. He may simply need some time; he's the kind of person that likes to think things over for himself before talking to me."

Kyōka's lips pursed. "Still, he doesn't have to be rude."

Momo nodded in agreement. "He was certainly distant with our team. Normally he's polite, at least, but he seemed very on edge today."

"Mmm." I started to nibble on the chocolate cupcake.

The topic then transitioned to what was to be expected in the next game. I tuned out their cheerful banter, finding it hard to focus on. I ate whatever was put in front of me—Ochaco kept feeding me—and let my mind wander.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, drawing my attention back into reality.

Izuku stood beside me, his brow furrowed and looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Izu-chan?" I inquired, and he dropped his hand away.

"Kiyo-chan?" Izuku asked me quietly, grabbing my hand. "Can I talk to you?"

My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Huh? Sure, buddy. Ah—I'll be back later, girls."

"Bye-bye," Ochaco said, waving her hands. Momo and Kyōka mimicked her.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Izuku took me to a secluded hallway, double-checking to make sure we were alone before he finally let go of my hand.

Izuku breathed out a long sigh, his eyes downcast. Concerned for my friend, I placed a consoling hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Izu-chan, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Izuku said quickly, looking back up at me. "I—I think I know what's bothering Todoroki-kun, though."

My eyes widened at that. "What? Did he talk to you?"

"S-Sort of." Izuku fidgeted again. "He wanted to ask me 'bout something else, but in the process he told me a bit about—about his parents."

I blinked, genuinely surprised.

Then something clicked at the back of my head.

"Oh my gosh that dummy!" I hissed. My eyes narrowed in irritation as the pieces fell into place.

Who else would make Shōto close up faster than a part time cashier closing the store down at the end of shift?

With a growl I said, "I'll be right back, Izu-chan."

"Take your time," Izuku said weakly.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Shōto was sitting outside the arena, in the wooded area. His back was pressed against the concrete building, his hands folded neatly in his lap and his head was bowed.

He didn't notice me right away, and I squatted down to be at eye-level with him. Feeling thoroughly exasperated by the silliness of my dearest friend I poked his cheek. "You're a dummy."

Shōto blinked, then stiffened. "Kiyo—"

"Finish that with a mi and I will kick your shins," I threatened. "Honestly, Sho-chan! What are you thinking? Who cares if your dad sees me being friendly with you?"

"That's—"

"I don't care about him. He's a scumbag that will get what's coming to him," I dismissed.

"I—"

"What I care about is when you let him get in the way of our relationship." I poked his cheek again. "You silly person."

Shōto flushed. "You—"

"What did we promise?" I interrupted again. "What did we promise, Sho-chan?"

Shōto closed his mouth shut, as his cheeks slowly darkened into a cute reddish hue. His gaze lowered. Quietly he mumbled, "Always and always."

"Always and always." I nodded my head. "You think that jerk can stop us? You think he can prevent me from keeping my promise?"

"That's not it," Shōto whispered. "It's—I know you can stand up to him; but I don't want you to. I don't—I don't want you anywhere near him. I don't even want him to look at you." His hands clenched into fists and he steadily continued to look down. "The very idea of you and him even being the same room—there's no way I could keep my composure. All these years, everyone kept you secret from him for me. My siblings cover for me when I'm with you, and the staff pretend to see nothing.

"But he still found out someone was visiting. He knows someone's been with me all these years, but he doesn't know who. He—he wasn't even supposed to be watching the stupid festival; he never has before and he was planning on going to Korea but then—yesterday he said—he said—"

Shōto's hands shook and a look of pure disgust and unrestrained resentment contorted his face. I reflexively grabbed his hands, and pulled them close to my chest. Gently, I uncurled his fists and placed one palm over my heart.

Softly, I whispered, "Shōto-kun, it's going to be okay."

Shōto's half-lidded eyes slowly looked up to meet my gaze.

"Feel my heart, and how steady it is right now," I said. "I'm not afraid if he finds me. All I care about is you. The whole reason I—Shōto-kun, I'm a hero because of you. I promised myself that I wouldn't let him hurt you again; that I would protect you. I can't do that if you push me away, though. And if you keep on pushing me away then this heartbeat won't be steady anymore. Got it?"

Shōto's eyes shone, conflicting emotions flickering across his face; each coming and going within seconds. He gripped both of my hands tightly and pulled me towards him, resting his forehead in the crook of my neck. I wrapped my arms around him, running my fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his arms tightening around me. "I don't want him anywhere near you, though."

"You can't keep us apart forever," I murmured. "He'll find out soon enough. I won't let him interfere with us, Sho-chan."

His long sigh tickled my neck. "I know. I'm sorry, I would have talked to you sooner, but he was with me constantly."

I kissed the top of his head. "As long as you keep your promise, then it's like water under the bridge."

"Always and always," he promised.

"Always and always," I agreed.

We stayed liked that for a while until I heard Shōto's stomach grumble and I laughed. I pulled back, smiling fondly at him. "Let's get you some lunch, okay? Besides, I gotta head back and change."

Shōto blinked rapidly. "Okay."

I moved to stand up, but Shōto's arms stiffened and prevented me. I looked down at him curiously, but he blushed and let me go. I stood up and offered my hand. He immediately took it, and I teleported both of us to the cafeteria. Our fingers naturally intertwined, per usual, and we waited patiently to get his food.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

I brought Shōto over towards our table where Momo was hard at work making the cheerleading outfits for the girls in our class. Izuku was the only boy amongst them, neatly folding the outfits as Momo created them and chatting merrily with Ochaco.

Shōto slid into a seat across from them, drawing some attention towards him.

"Hello," he grunted, then started to eat.

Izuku and Ochaco both looked over at me and I gave them a thumbs up.

They grinned.

"Hello, Todoroki-kun," Momo greeted pleasantly. "I think I have enough made."

"Great. Thanks for doing that, Momo-chan."

"Please, don't worry about it. I'm always happy to help."

"Kyōka-chan went to go let the other girls know," Ochaco explained to me. "Ah, I guess once everyone is here we should change?"

"That would be best, that way I can see if I need to make any adjustments for the sizes," Momo said with a smile.

I nodded at that. "Okey dokey."

◟(◕◡◕❀)

There were a few issues with sizes, so it was a good thing that we had changed beforehand. It felt a little silly to be wearing a cheerleading uniform, but in a fun way. It wasn't the most outlandish thing I had worn: Sayako (cafe manager) had a roleplaying weekend every month. It was always a fun time, and my favorite one was when we cosplayed as magical girls (which was what largely inspired my hero outfit).

I led our team out onto the field, most of my nerves thoroughly shoved aside after I had talked with Shōto. It was still uncomfortable to be in front of so many people, but I felt a lot better than I did at the start of the games.

Hopefully Nemuri and Nezu wouldn't have anymore surprises for me. My heart could only take so much.

"—Oi, oi, what kind of fanservice is that, 1-A?"

Present Mic's incredulous question caused the girls in 1-A to freeze.

Denki and Mineta's gleeful snickers and nosebleeds immediately clued us in that dressing up as cheerleaders was not a requirement for one of the events.

'That's sneaky,' I thought, honestly impressed by how brazen the idea was. Truly the duo had earned the titles of Perverts.

(Not a Super Pervert, though!)

A wave of nostalgia hit me at their antics, and I let out a giggle as Momo fell to her knees in exhaustion. "You tricked us? Ugh, why am I always getting caught up in Mineta's schemes?"

I reached down and patted her shoulder. "Chin up, dear. This isn't so bad, we might as well have fun with it."

Ochaco beamed. "Yeah! Let's cheer on our classmates."

Then I felt something on my shoulders and I glanced behind me to find Shōto placing his sports jacket on me. I quirked my eyebrow at him. With a perfectly straight face he said, "It's inappropriate, and you might catch a cold."

I heard some giggles behind me and Shōto looked down and away. He mumbled, "Midoriya-kun agrees with me. Right?"

Izuku jumped at being pulled into the conversation. Shōto looked at Izuku and the two seemed to have some sort of silent conversation before Izuku blushed and said, "Y-Yeah."

Izuku pulled off his jacket and hesitantly gave it to Ochaco.

Ochaco took it after a few seconds of staring at it, staring intently at the two boys. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. "Mm-hmm."

"I see," was all I said, then shrugged. I slipped on Shōto's jacket and zipped it up. "Thank you, then."

"Don't mention it," he mumbled.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

A brief interlude with Nezu

"Uwa! No! My cute little student is already starting her high school romance!" Nezu mock-cried.

"Nezu-san, please..."

End of the interlude

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Present Mic smoothly transitioned us into the introduction of the third round. All of the students gathered before Nemuri as an empty bracket filled up the screen. Nemuri held up a box and said, "Now let's draw. Once the bracket is determined we'll have the recreational games and then start! The sixteen finalists can choose whether or not they want to participate in the recreation. I'm sure some of you want to rest or save your strength. Now for the first time—"

"Um, excuse me?" Mashirao raised his hand. "I'm withdrawing."

Everyone around me immediately gasped at that and Izuku whirled around to face him. "Ojiro-kun, why?"

Tenya turned around to look at Mashirao in disbelief. "This is a rare chance for pros to see you."

Mashirao's face twisted into a bitter expression. "I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until almost the end. I think it was that guy's Quirk. I know that this is a great chance and that it's foolish to waste it. But everyone here competed by giving their all. I can't—I can't be up there with everyone without knowing what really happened."

Toru waved her pom poms up and down. "You're worrying about it too much. You should just make sure you produce results in the finals."

"If you're gonna say that, I didn't do anything either," Mina added quietly.

At their words Mashirao trembled and placed a hand over his face. His voice cracked as he whispered, "That's not it. I'm talking about my pride here. I can't—Also why are you guys wearing cheerleader outfits?"

"I'm Niregenki Shoda from Class B," said a boy approaching Nemuri. "I also want to withdraw for the same reason. Regardless of ability, don't you think it goes against the goal of this sports festival for those who didn't do anything to move onto the final round?"

"What's with these guys?" Eijirō exclaimed, tears in his eyes. "They're so manly!"

Nemuri's cool eyes regarded everyone. "Youthful talk like that is something... I like. Shoda! OKyōka! I accept your withdrawal. In that case we'll have to move up two people from the fifth place cavalry battle team."

"If that's what's going to happen," said a girl with red hair from Class 1-B, "then rather than us, who barely did anything during the cavalry battle, it should be them, right? The ones who fought to the end and stayed in the top, Team Tetsutetsu."

"Huh," was all I said as I exchanged glances with Ochaco and Izuku. "You two are okay to continue, right?"

"While I admit you definitely carried, I can't afford to drop out," Izuku admitted.

"Thanks for the carry," Ochaco said, patting my back.

I gave them a thumbs up. "What are friends for? I don't really get why they're upset about it, to be honest. It was a team round, of course some people are better suited for that than others."

They both nodded in agreement at that.

"And so, Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki have moved up to make sixteen! This is the bracket based on the results of the drawing."

ROUND ONE - Shinso VS Midoriya

ROUND TWO - Todoroki VS Sero

ROUND THREE - Hatsume VS Iida

ROUND FOUR - Fumikage VS Shiozaki

ROUND FIVE - Marin VS Yaoyorozu

ROUND SIX - Ashido VS Aoyama

ROUND SEVEN - Tetsutetsu VS Kirishima

ROUND EIGHT - Uraraka VS Bakugō

I looked over at the board. 'So I'll be facing Momo-chan first, then—hmm—probably Mina. Ah, should be fun.'

"Yosh!" Present Mic exclaimed. "Let's leave the tournament aside for a momentary interlude." Fireworks started going off above the colosseum. "Let's have some fun with recreation!"

I stretched my arms up in the air. 'Ah. I guess I should change out of the cheerleader outfit so I can give back Sho-chan's jacket.'

Once that was done I handed Shōto back his jacket and took a seat beside him as we watched everyone scurry about the recreational games. He looked surprisingly relaxed, with his hands folded in front of his lap. Ochaco joined us shortly, sitting on my other side. She had changed back into her regular sport uniform.

I grabbed one of Ochaco's hands, and one of Shōto's. I placed each in my lap, holding onto them. Ochaco let out a small sigh and leaned over to place her head on my shoulder. "Bocchan's going to be nasty, isn't he?"

"He's fun to fight," I told her. "I'm a little jealous I don't get to fight him right away."

"He looks like he's a hassle to fight," Shōto muttered.

"He's sporadic, which makes it fun. I really hope you win against him Ocha-chan, 'cause I don't want to have to face him with a nearly depleted wand. That'll be... unfortunate."

Ochaco snorted. "You'd probably still win."

'Only way I win in spars is when I start at full capacity, or we both agree not to use our Quirks,' I thought. 'I'm at... 39% power. Odds are definitely not in my favor.'

It wouldn't really matter so much against anyone else, except maybe Izuku. Katsuki's Quirk was simply too dangerous to go against without full power. I knew firsthand how much his stupid explosions hurt when face-tanked, and if I couldn't generate my bubble-shields... Urk. I'd be covered in enough burns to make tomorrow a living hell.

Either way, not fun without full power.

'But that makes it all the more...'

(eXcItInG)

"You can win," I told her confidently. "You're smart. You'll come up with something."

"Your faith in me is appreciated," Ochaco said.

I gave her hand a squeeze.

The three of us enjoyed our brief moment of peace before it was time to start the tournament.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Izuku's match was the first one, with Shōto's immediately afterwards. So Ochaco and I moved up towards our reserved spot in the stands (where all of Class 1-A would watch) hand in hand. She seemed a little nervous, so I did my best to comfort her.

I sat beside Katsuki, with Ochaco on my other side. I nudged Katsuki. "Excited, buddy?"

Katsuki's lips turned up into a smirk. "You better make it to the final rounds, Bubblegum. I still owe you an ass kicking."

"Worry 'bout yourself, silly," I told him. "Ocha-chan could kick your booty."

Katsuki leaned around me to raise an eyebrow at Ochaco. "Angel-face maid?"

Ochaco waved. "Hi, Bocchan."

He glared at her, then turned to glower at me. "You got her calling me that, too?"

"All the maids call you that, Bocchan, and since she's a maid now—"

"Tt."

"AUDIENCE!" Present Mic boomed. "The finals that you've all been waiting for are finally starting! Match number one: Even though he's done so well, what's with that face? From the hero course, it's Izuku Midoriya! Versus—Sorry he hasn't done anything to stand out yet. From general studies, it's Hitoshi Shinso!"

Izuku and that purple-haired student both walked out towards the arena that had been created in the center of the field.

"The rules are simple," Present Mic continued. "Force your opponent out of bounds, or immobilize them. You can also win by making your opponent say: I give up. Bring on the injuries. Because we've got our very own Recovery Girl waiting on standby. Put your morals and ethics aside for a moment. But of course, anything life-threatening is crap. It's not allowed! Heroes should only use their fists to catch villains."

The crowd roared its approval.

"Ready?! START!"

As soon as Present Mic said start Shinso must have said something because Izuku started rushing towards him.

But then three steps in and he froze.

"Oi, oi, what's the matter?" Present Mic asked. "It's the important first match. Liven things up. Midoriya, the match has just started and he's completely frozen?"

(Ah)

Izuku then turned around and started walking slowly towards the edge of the arena.

Present Mic's voice was tinged in disbelief. "AH? Midoriya is being so obedient."

"Mind-control?" I murmured out loud, drawing gasps of disbelief from our classmates.

"I think so," Mashirao said, looking over at me. "The truth is I was on the team with that Shinso guy, and I don't remember anything after I talked to him."

Before Izuku could take a final step out of the arena there was a massive burst of air pressure. When it died down, Izuku was bending over, panting.

"This is—Midoriya's stopped!"

The crowd cheered. Shinso seemed to be saying something to Izuku, but I couldn't read his lips from so far away, or hear him over the crowd. Izuku covered his mouth, and turned to face him. Shinso kept talking, and Izuku started to run towards him. Izuku tackled into Shinso before grappling him and literally throwing him out of bounds.

Nemuri raised her whip. "Shinso is out of bounds. Midoriya advances to round two!"

"Yahoo!" Present Mic cheered as the crowd erupted. "That was kind of a boring first round, but we should praise them both for a bravely fought match. Clap your hands!"

We all clapped, and the colosseum swelled with the noise.

Ochaco nudged me. "Your boyfriend is next."

I gave her a deadpan expression.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

A brief interlude with Shōto

Shōto moved down the halls, heading to his first match. His head was clearer, and his heart lighter than at the start of the festival. He only wished he had talked to Kiyomi sooner about the whole thing, instead of trying to push her away.

She was right, of course.

His father wouldn't stop him from seeing her, and vice versa.

Shōto always knew there would be a day the two would officially meet, and he dreaded that day with every fiber of his being.

Kiyomi was strong, Shōto truly believed. She could—and would—stand up to his father without a second thought.

But a part of Shōto (a part so deeply ingrained from childhood that no amount of words, or time, would completely erase it) was terrified of that. He was genuinely afraid of what his father would do to Kiyomi for the sake of his monstrous goals.

His father bought his mother.

Would he buy her, too?

Would he send her away?

Would he break her?

The questions had circled in the back of Shōto's head for years. He always did his best to ignore them, to shove them aside.

He was afraid that if Kiyomi and his father met, that he would find out those answers.

He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't risk it.

He could not let his father anywhere near Kiyomi.

He should have sent her away all those years ago. As soon he fully understood the atrocious monster his father was, he should have sent her packing. He should have cut off his ties with her, distanced himself from her, and denied meeting with her.

He should have.

Shōto couldn't, though, because he was greedy. She was only person in his life that didn't cry when she saw his face; didn't avert her eyes; didn't fail to meet his gaze; didn't look at him like some kind of tool or toy to be used.

Kiyomi was the only one in the world that saw Shōto for Shōto, and he simply couldn't bring himself to be selfless enough to send her away.

He was greedy for her attentions and affections. Starved for it in his own home, she was the highlight of his days and nights. She was the reason he was able to smile after the beatdowns, threats, and manipulations.

She was the reason he wanted to be a hero.

And he didn't want her anywhere near Endeavour.

Yet it seemed like that would never happen.

That monster would find her one way or another. At least here—at least now—Shōto could be prepared for it. Kiyomi could be prepared for it.

She wouldn't leave him, he was sure (hoped).

Shōto rounded the corner, stopping when he realized Endeavour was waiting for him.

Anger and disgust immediately flared in the pit of his stomach when he saw his father. Schooling his features to show only the barest hint of dislike Shōto said quietly, firmly, "You're in my way."

Endeavor folded his arms over his chest. "You're acting disgracefully, Shōto."

Shōto started walking.

"If you used the power in your left side, you would've had an overwhelming victory in the obstacle course and the cavalry battle."

Disdain began to boil inside of Shōto, and he fought to keep from snarling out a response.

"Stop this childish rebellion already. You have a duty to surpass All Might. Do you understand?"

Shōto's hands clenched tightly into fists and he kept walking.

"You're different from your siblings. You are the greatest masterpiece!"

With a quiet growl, Shōto bit out without turning back, "Is that all you can say, bastard? I will win and advance with only Mother's power. I won't use your power when I fight."

"Even to defend that Magi user?"

Rage burned through Shōto's veins, his footsteps becoming heavier and he struggled not to turn around. He would not give his father that satisfaction.

"You'll have to bring her home, introduce her to the family. Or I'll invite her myself."

He almost turned around at that, almost started a fight he probably couldn't win.

'Always and always.'

Always and always.

But he didn't turn around, even as he seethed with anger, and felt the sickening feeling of hatred coil around his heart.

'Always and always.'

His father wouldn't get in the way of that.

Shōto kept walking.

End of interlude.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

I sat beside Katsuki, leaning forward in my seat as I waited for Shōto's match to start. Izuku sat on the other side of me, with Ochaco next to him (she had gotten up and offered her seat when he came back).

"Gonna cheer extra loud for your boyfriend?" Ochaco asked me, wiggling her eyebrows.

"He's not—" I sighed. "Yes. I'm going to cheer extra loud for my future husband."

Ochaco squealed and Katsuki snapped, "Stop that squeaking! You sound like a damn mouse."

"Don't be a spoilsport, Bocchan," I chided.

Katsuki huffed. "Don't look so smug, Bubblegum. You're not going to win this."

"Please. I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Thaaaaaaanks for waiting!" Present Mic boomed, drawing everyone's attention to the arena floor. It was a little hard to see Shōto from our high-up seats, but I did my best. He looked pretty uncomfortable, but that could have been because he was literally the center of attention at the moment. Shōto had never been a big fan of public speaking.

Present Mic's voice rolled over the intercoms as he introduced Hanta. "He's good! He's good, but what's with that plainess he just can't get rid of? From the hero course, it's Hanta Sero."

Sero was stretching out, while Shōto remained stiff as a board.

"Versus! Taking third then second in the prelims; you're way too strong kid! Also from the hero course, it's Shōto Todoroki!"

The crowd cheered and I clapped my hands.

"And now, for the second match of the finals—Ready—Start!"

The sound went off and Hanta shot out his tape, wrapping it around Shōto within seconds. He then pulled hard and began to swing Shōto towards the edge of the arena.

"A surprise attack aimed to push his opponent out of bounds. Don't you think that was the best choice for this situation? Seriously, get him, Sero!"

And then a massive ice glacier erupted from Shōto's footing, covering half of the entire colosseum. The ice actually was barely half a meter away from our seats, and I had to throw myself back to not get caught in it since I was originally leaning forwards to watch Shōto's match.

I couldn't see the match since the ice covered it, but I heard Nemuri's shivering voice ask, "Sero-kun, can you move?" A pause. "Sero-kun is unable to move. Todoroki-kun advances to the second round."

Silence fell around the arena for a handful of seconds before the crowd started to shout down to Sero: "Don't worry about it!"

"Is your boyfriend on his period?" Katsuki asked me, perfectly serious.

"It's—it's been a tough day for him," I said, apologizing on his behalf for some reason.

"P-Poor Sero-kun," Ochaco stammered out.

"I, uh, I guess I should go talk to him again," I said quietly, wiggling my way out of the ice. "I'll, uh, see you guys later. Root for Tenya-kun and Fumikage-kun for me."

"R-Right."

◟(◕◡◕❀)

I found Shōto in the infirmary, wrapped up in a heating blanket and drinking some hot tea. I sat down on his bed, lifted up his blanket, and scooted into his side. He shivered and took another drink from his tea, not meeting my gaze.

We stayed beside each other for a few minutes until Shōto broke the silence. "I'm sorry. I lost my temper."

"It's okay. Wanna talk about it?"

"Not right now."

"Okay."

Shōto drank some more tea. "Can I stay at your place this weekend?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

He closed his eyes, let out a sigh, and leaned on my shoulder. "Ever wanted to run away to another country and assume a different identity?"

"Sure," I said, not missing a beat. "My cover story would be that I'm the runaway bride from a time traveling pirate. I drugged him and his gang before he could force the marriage, and then I ran away with one of my many lovers. We started up a nice harem after escaping, but we all had to part separate ways to fulfil our dreams. My dream is, of course, to be the world's greatest patisserie. So I'll go to France."

He snorted into his tea. "Do you have a cover story for me?"

"You're the runaway wanna-be-bad-boy-but-secretly-a-sweetie I meet at France. We fall madly in love and you help set up my shop. Your dream is to be the world's greatest waiter, so it works out well for us. We get married while skydiving by the Eiffel Tower. It's a beautiful ceremony. Izu-chan is our adopted child, by the way."

"Of course."

"Bocchan is the crazy uncle that keeps escaping jail."

"Makes sense."

"Ocha-chan should be the lost princess of some Narnia-like land."

"Sure."

We fall quiet again. Then I asked him, "Do'ya wanna hug?"

"Yeah."

He set his tea down and I hugged him as tight as I could. I promised him, "Always and always."

"Always and always," he returned.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Then it was time for my match against Momo (Tenya won against Mei, and Fumikage won against that 1-B girl). I headed out with a skip in my step and a song in my heart. Shōto seemed much happier when I left him, if still perplexed. But I was sure that after the tournament passed by and his father left, things would return to normal.

"And now for the fifth match! She's as dangerous as she is cute, the magical girl with the brightest smile. From the hero course: Kiyomi Marin!"

The crowd cheered, and my stomach flip-flopped as I gave them my waitress-grin.

"Versus! All-purpose Creation. She was admitted through recommendations, so her abilities are certified. From the hero course, it's Momo Yaoyorozu!"

Again the crowd cheered, and Momo shifted uncomfortably.

"Fifth match, start!"

Momo appeared startled by that, but I had already teleported straight to her, doing a roundhouse kick. She raised her arms to defend, blocking my kick but the force was enough to make her stumble back.

I dropped low and swept in her legs and she fell back. I was on her in the next second using a hard chop to her diaphragm and rendering her unconscious.

(Ah, what a sweet little child)

(The old fight—)

(So the young can stay innocent)

Nemuri cocked her head, a smile on her face. "Yaoyorozu is unable to continue. Kiyo-chan is the winner."

"Ahh! What an overwhelming victory!" Present Mic boomed. "Not many can go toe-to-toe with our little soldier, though!"

(Soldier)

(General)

(K I N G)

(murderer)

I bowed politely before taking my leave, rejoining my friends and classmates in the stands.

Mina's match against Aoyama was brief, barely lasting three minutes. Eijirō's match, on the other hand, went on for nearly half an hour before resulting in a draw. Ochaco excused herself during Eijirō's match in order to prepare herself against Katsuki. She still struck me as a nervous girl, but there was a glint of determination in her eyes.

I sat beside Shōto as Ochaco and Katsuki's fight was about to begin. Izuku sat on my other side, and Tenya beside him.

"This should be a fun fight," I commented on. "I hope Ocha-chan has fun."

"Not everyone enjoys picking a fight with Kacchan, Kiyo-chan," Izuku told me.

"Why not? He makes hilarious faces."

Shōto gently patted my knee. "I'm sure you think so."

I shrugged.

Present Mic shouted for the match to start, and boy what a match it was.

Ochaco's strategy was impressive, certainly. She did her best to engage in close combat with Katsuki, and every time he launched an explosive attack against her she used the smoke to hide the fact that she used her Quirk on the debris. Slowly, subtly, and slyly, she had built a surprise for Katsuki.

Unfortunately for her, Katsuki was able to blast away all the debris she had sent falling to him. Additionally, the blast was significant enough to knock Ochaco down one final time.

It was a good fight, but it wasn't enough.

I thought about going to her after the fight, but Izuku and Tenya already were (Shōto also left since his match was next after Eijirō's rematch). Another person might make it come across as a pity party.

I'd still check on her later tonight, after the tournament was over and the immediate sting of loss wasn't so tender.

She did well. She should be proud of herself for making it so far.

Katsuki rejoined us in the stands shortly afterwards, resuming his seat with a huff.

"Good job," I congratulated him. "Ocha-chan's pretty tough, huh?"

"She sure as shit isn't fragile," he spat out.

"You played an impressive villain," Tsuyu teased him.

"Shut up," Katsuki snapped.

I elbowed him. "Shall I invite her to our next spar?"

"Do what you want."

"Aw! My little bocchan is finally okay with making friends!"

"Fucking die!"

I giggled as Eijirō's rematch with Tetsutetsu started. They ended up having an arm wrestling match that ultimately ended in Eijirō's favor.

Then it was time for Izuku and Shōto's match.

Ochaco rejoined us shortly afterwards, taking the free seat next to me. I reached towards her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her into me. She curled into my hug, resting her head on my chest and letting out a long sigh. I patted her back. "You did beautifully, princess. Bocchan, praise her."

"No."

"That means he's very impressed with you," I translated for her.

"No it means shut the fuck up before I break your jaw."

"And that means shut up you're embarrassing me," I continued, ignoring the seething look of pure hatred Katsuki was giving me. Ochaco trembled slightly as she tried to repress her laughter. I glanced over my shoulder at Katsuki and winked. "Our bocchan is a little tsundere-chan."

'Oh if looks could kill!'

Katsuki leaned towards me, pressing his forehead against mine. He whispered, "I'm going to kill you. Slowly."

"I love you too, dear."

His scream of frustration was an absolute delight, especially since it made Ochaco giggle cutely.

The crowd screamed as Shōto and Izuku came into view. Present Mic began his introduction. "Everybody ready? The first round of the second part is a big one. The man who won a huge victory in the first round and literally left the audience frozen: from the hero course, it's Shōto Todoroki. On the other hand, this guy barely made it past the first round! What kind of fight will he show us this time? From the hero course, it's Izuku Midoriya!"

There was a brief moment of pause as Present Mic allowed the tension to build up.

"START!"

Shōto immediately opened up with an impressive wall of ice hurtling towards Izuku. I couldn't see what Izuku was doing, but before the ice reached him a massive gust of air pressure destroyed it. The force was significant enough that Shōto had to form a wall of ice behind him to keep him grounded, whereas the rest of us got a taste of freezing wind.

"Wow! Midoriya stopped Todoroki's attack!"

This repeated itself three more times.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

A brief interlude with Shōto

"You're trembling, Todoroki-kun."

Shōto stiffened, his eyes narrowing.

Izuku, with one hand thoroughly bruised, raised it shakily. "Quirks are physical abilities, too. There's a limit to how much cold your body can take, isn't there? And isn't that something you could solve using the heat from your left side? Everyone's fighting with everything they've got. To win and get closer to their dream. To become number one. And you want to win with just half your strength? You haven't put a single scratch on me, you know? Come at me with everything you've got."

'Everything?' Shōto repeated to himself, his previous conversation with that wretched man replying in his head. Everything?! Anger and disgust churned inside of him. "Everything? Did my damn old man buy you off, or something?"

"Don't be stupid," Izuku snapped. "Why—Why do you even want to be a hero, Todoroki-kun? If you're only going to be listless about it! Heroes always give it their all. They always save the day. You really want to be a hero with that attitude? Y-You don't deserve to be a hero like that." Izuku's hands clenched into a fist, and a brief flicker of something crossed his face. Like he had a brilliant, but mad idea. "She gives it her all. What makes you think you deserve to be beside her when you won't do the same?"

Pure anger surged inside Shōto, enough so that it left him completely frozen. His face twisted into something dark and venomous. "You...!"

"Why do you want to be a hero?" Izuku asked him again, green eyes glaring defiantly at him. "Why do you think you have any right to that honor when you're like this? If you keep going on so half-assed, then she'll pass you up in no time. You won't ever be a hero. You won't ever stay by her side. You're going to break your promise!"

"Shut up!"

"Answer me, Todoroki-kun! Answer me, or come at me with everything you have."

Shōto dug his nails so deeply into his palms that he drew blood. His fists trembled with anger so severe, he was almost blinded. He glared hatefully at Izuku, loathing the fact that his words were having such an effect on him.

'Why do I want to be a hero?' Shōto asked himself. The answer hadn't changed in the past five years. At first it was because he wanted to be like All Might. He wanted to be someone others could rely on, and turn to. He wanted to save the day. He wanted to be a hero.

As the years went by and he dealt with his father's cruel methods, he lost that drive. He went through the motions of training to be a hero simply because he felt like he had no other option. Eventually it turned into a drive to surpass his father; to prove the man had no hold over him.

Then he found his best friend crying in his bed one night.

And he decided he wanted to be a hero to make sure that didn't happen again.

He didn't want any of his precious people to be hurt. Not by him. Not by his father. Not by anyone. He wanted to protect them, and keep them safe. He wanted to become someone they could turn to, and trust.

He wanted to be their hero.

'A half-assed hero, though?'

Izuku had a horrible, terrible, awful point.

A half-assed hero?

That would never happen in the real world.

A half-assed hero wasn't the type of person others could rely on. He was the scum that skirted by.

He was the scum that couldn't protect his friends.

"Half-ass?" Shōto muttered quietly, unable to contain his anger.

"Are you going to be a hero, or not?" Izuku asked him. "Are you going to keep hiding behind half of your power, or are you going to come at me with all you have?"

"I'm," Shōto whispered, his voice quivering, "going to be a hero."

"Prove it," Izuku demanded. "Prove that you deserve to be here!"

Flames erupted around Shōto, melting the ice and effectively getting rid of his side effects to using his Ice Quirk, he noticed Izuku's grin. Shōto let out a humorless chuckle. "Why are you smiling? In a situation like this... I won't hold back. You've really pissed me off today."

Izuku's grin stretched wider. "As your friend, it's my job to knock some sense into your head when you're being stupid."

"Friend?"

"Of course."

Shōto's anger quelled for a moment at that, a wry smile on his face. "Heh. Then, don't blame me for what happens next."

Shōto dropped down, summoning up ice and fire as Izuku launched himself towards him. The ice covered the arena within seconds, and then the fire erupted as walls of cement rose up between the two students as the proctors tried to desperately stop them from killing themselves.

The resulting blast of everything colliding shook the whole colosseum.

And when the smoke and steam cleared, Shōto was the winner.

End of the interlude

◟(◕◡◕❀)

I watched the battle with growing concern for both of my friends. When Izuku started to get carted away on a stretcher, I was half-tempted to follow; but I knew Recovery Girl would only shoo me out. So I visited Shōto first, teleporting to the entrance of the tunnel and anxiously waiting.

I thought I heard footsteps behind me, so I turned around, but no one was at the end of the hallway.

Shōto came into the tunnel, looking surprised to see me. "Kiyo-chan."

"Sho-chan," I greeted, moving towards him. "Are you—are you okay? You used your other half."

"Y-Yeah," Shōto muttered quietly, looking down at his left hand. "I did, didn't I?"

A smile pulled my lips upwards and I reached towards him, gently taking his hand. "I'm very proud of you."

Shōto looked up at me sharply, his eyes widening. "What?"

"I know what this means to you. I know it's probably confusing, and scary, and uncomfortable—but—but I'm very happy for you." I squeezed his hand. "Sho-chan, you know I love every bit of ya, so seeing you ignore half of yourself for so long... but now you're starting to accept it. I'm really happy for you, and so proud."

Shōto shifted his weight, taking both of my hands and steadily looking down at them. A small smile graced his face and he mumbled, "It'll take some time, I think. I'm not—I'm not yet comfortable with it."

"I'll be with you every step of the way," I reassured him.

"Yeah, I know."

"Let's get you another jacket, then." I tugged on his hands. "While I admire the bare-chest look, I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

He blushed. "R-Right."

I squeezed his hands, and he squeezed back.

"Kiyo-chan?"

"Mn?"

"I'm going to keep our promise."

"Mn. You better."

◟(◕◡◕❀)

The next match was Tenya against Fumikage, but since I was immediately after them I chose to sit in the waiting room to prepare myself. I mostly wanted to get in a few stretches, since after this match I'd probably be facing Katsuki.

Boy was that gonna be fun.

Unluckily for me Tenya and Fumikage's match was a little too short. Before I knew it it was my turn against Mina.

She had a bit more natural talent in combat than Momo, so she lasted a minute longer. But she was still a child; barely trained. With a quick teleportation behind her and a solid kick to her pelvis she was in serious pain. I deflected each of her acidic attacks with my bubbles—though they ate through them quickly—before delivering a decisive blow to her diaphragm and rendering her unconscious.

I returned to the stands after, taking a seat beside Shōto and Ochaco.

"Izu-chan still with Recovery Girl?" I asked, and Ochaco nodded glumly. "Don't worry, Ocha-chan. I've put him through much worse on our adventures."

She looked at me in horror, but I just smiled at the fond memories of a petrified Izuku screaming in terror as we free-fell into some kind of dangerous situation.

Katsuki's fight with Kirishima was impressive at the start, but the little ball of fury turned it around soon enough.

I had faith Shōto would win his match against Tenya, so I decided to use that time to get in a few more stretches, and mentally prepare myself for getting thoroughly covered in burns.

When I passed Katsuki on the way to the preparation room he gave me a positively evil grin. I blew him a kiss and he flipped me off.

I worked out most of my nerves, stretching my arms above my head and doing a brief warm up. By the time it was time for me to go, I was nearly ready.

I wished I could go visit Shōto before my match, but unfortunately that simply wasn't going to happen. I headed out onto the field, ignoring Present Mic's introduction of the two of us. I stood at one end of the arena, with Katsuki on the other.

"Start!"

Obviously I teleported directly to Katsuki, to his left side. Bubbles covered my arms as I grabbed him.

Into the air we went, high above everyone in the stadium. I let go of Katsuki and he rapidly twisted his body to start launching quick explosions out of the palm of his hands to stay in the air.

I teleported to his right and threw out a fast bubble-covered punch, he moved as fast as he could to try and avoid it. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't fast enough since he had to simultaneously keep himself from plummeting to the ground while avoiding me.

After the punch I teleported above him and kicked down towards his chest, but he successfully blocked me.

Grinning wickedly I said, "Can you keep up here, boy?"

A vicious grin lit up his face. "You think you can beat me in the air?"

"I know I can."

Then the game was on.

The advantage was, of course, in my favor. I teleported sporadically around Katsuki, sometimes to punch, kick, or deflect, and other times to dodge his dangerous explosions. Every time Katsuki started to lower himself to the ground I found a way to literally kick him back up into the air.

Our "game" was brutal. Every punch I landed drew blood, and every fist he dug into me burned my skin.

Katsuki was a natural when it came to hand-to-hand. Truly, in a decade or so, he might even be unbeatable in close combat; he was simply that talented.

But I had experience.

(We have experience)

My body moved like a puppet at a play, dancing to its own tune and effectively dodging the worst of Katsuki's explosions while still delivering a heavy offense.

As our mid-air combat dragged on, our injuries began to take their toll. Katsuki's face and upper body were heavily bruised, and my arms and legs were covered in blood and burns.

Still, our grins never left our faces.

'I need to end this soon,' I thought, as I spun to avoid Katsuki's sweeping kick. 'I'm nearly out of power.'

After another impromptu attempt at punching his throat, I teleported a few meters away from Katsuki. I formed my bubbles into a whip and before Katsuki noticed my position I threw it out. It wrapped around his right leg and Katsuki immediately whirled around to face me, firing off another explosion.

Using every bit of my strength I yanked the whip to try and throw Katsuki to the ground and out of the arena.

Katsuki tumbled down, tucking in and grabbing my bubble-turned-whip before pulling with all his might. He pulled the whip towards him, launching both of us towards each other before I could even think about letting go.

Before we crashed into one another I reflexively teleported below him, since he would probably expect me to teleport behind him.

But then he smiled and I realized he had been building up for one hell of an explosion.

I—

My heart clenched and with a yelp my bubbles dissolved and I began to free fall to the ground.

'Unlucky time to run out of power!'

As I fell, Katsuki released his full-force explosion and all I could to was hold up my arms and tuck my body to brace for the force. The fires licked and burned all around me and the force threw me straight into the concrete ground below me.

The wind flew out of me, and I heard the snaps of my ribs—

(Snip. Snap. Snip. Snap.)

My heart thumped and my wand returned inside of me.

My head spun, and as the fires cleared away I realized I was in very, very bad shape.

Adrenaline rushed through my system, drowning out the pain and I—

We smiled.

Katsuki tumbled to the ground, panting and bending over. He was bruised, bleeding heavily, and looked damn near ready to fall over at any moment; but he stood standing. He wheezed, "That all you got, B-Bubblegum?"

We stood up, ignoring the snips and cracks of the bones. We put our knee back into place.

(Fun time?)

Nemuri stiffened and immediately raised her whip. Her face had turned pale with fear and her hand quivered. "Kiyomi is unable to continue. Katsuki is the winner."

Our head was bowed, but we tilted it when she said that. Her eyes were sharp on us, and she immediately moved to stand between us and Katsuki.

(Fun time?)

"What? That's f-fucking bullshit, she's still standing!"

"Let Kiyomi rest," Nemuri said tersely, her cold eyes never leaving us. She was ready to fight us. She was ready t-o p-l-a-y.

We looked up at her.

We smiled.

(Not yet, Blessed said.)

We let Kiyomi join us in sleep.

I toppled over as oblivion greeted me.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

I woke up as I was being carried down the hall. I heard footsteps running towards me, and I tiredly looked up. Every bit of my body ached, and I knew it would feel like I had been heavily sunburned for the next couple of the days as the burns healed.

'Can't believe I ran out of power, then. Ugh. I was so close to winning, too. I have a way higher stamina and pain tolerance than him.'

Oh well. Issues came with it being a tournament style competition. Unlike other Quirks—which typically only require an hour or so of resting before being fully recharged—my Quirk recharged slowly. It would take a full day of my wand resting inside of my heart before I could even think about teleporting anywhere. Long drawn-out battles were my enemies.

Suddenly, Shōto's face was beside me and Izuku and Ochaco were on my other side as I was being carried away in a stretcher.

"Hewwo 'ar'ings," I greeted with a tired smile, my words slurring together as I tried (and failed) to move my mouth.

"You okay?" Ochaco asked, concerned.

"Mmm-hmmm. Done worse t' ea'other," I dismissed. "'Leas' he didn' dis'ocate or brea' any'ing."

"That's a good silver lining," Izuku consoled.

"Mn. Sho-chan?"

"Yes?"

I looked him in the air, half-serious. "Aven' me. No let him win."

Shōto nodded slowly. "You will be avenged."

"Than'you. I'mma ta' a na' now."

"Sweet dreams," Ochaco said sweetly.

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Exhausted, I opened my eyes to find myself staring at a sterile white ceiling above me. Chiyo, also known as Recovery Girl, was sitting beside me, and next to her was—

"Cactus-sensei?" I mumbled tiredly. My body ached as I forced myself to sit up. "Wha' happen...?"

Aizawa stared intently at me for another moment before he slightly shook his head. Chiyo let out a small sigh of relief. Aizawa then addressed me. "You lost consciousness. I'm only checking up on you."

"But the matches—?"

"Concluded. The award ceremony will be in about ten minutes."

I blinked, taking that in. "Oh. Who won?"

"Shōto Todoroki."

(Oh ho?)

I smiled at that, although it made my cheeks hurt. "That's wonderful. Is Bocchan taking the loss okay?"

"Nope."

"Aha." I shifted in my hospital bed, looking down at my skin. Chiyo had gone out of her way to make me look patched up so I wouldn't need the bandages. There was still a red tinge to my forearms, legs, and likely abdomen, but everything else looked fine.

Despite that I was minutely trembling, and my heart felt unnaturally hot. That was to be expected since I had drained all of my Quirk's power. My wand had withdrawn naturally back inside my heart, and I would be running a fever over the next few days while I recharged.

"Do you feel safe?" Aizawa asked me abruptly, pulling my mind out of my self-assessment.

"Huh? Yeah. I feel fine. Something wrong?"

"Do you remember your fight with Bakugō?"

Furrowing my brow, I reflected on my memories. To my surprise I realized I didn't remember anything after realizing I had run out of power.

'Did I pass out, then?' I wondered. That was unusual, but not entirely unexpected. I'd done that a few times when I spared against Aizawa or Nemuri. I never remembered what happened afterwards.

I shook my head. "I remember up until I ran out of juice, but that's it. Ah, kinda embarrassing, huh?"

"It was expected of you to run out of power during the tournament, especially after the second game," Aizawa said bluntly. "Your second ability is a larger drain on your reserves than teleporting, and since you maintained it while carrying others for a prolonged period of time... It's impressive that you lasted as long as you did."

I blushed at that praise. "Thank you, Sensei. I really did my best."

There was a slight twinge in his face. "I know. Get dressed and prepare yourself for the award ceremony."

"Yes, Sensei."

◟(◕◡◕❀)

Small therapy-no-jutsu twist since Izuku knows Kiyomi and Shōto a lot better than his canonical counterpart. Friendship for the win!

(Yes Aizawa was there to make sure Kiyomi woke up as Kiyomi)

I kept the team matches pretty similar, because I thought it gave some characters good development I didn't want to mess up. That being said, I swapped Denki for Fumikage because 1.) Fumi is a cutie and 2.) This Shōto is more inclined to work with Fumi over Denki for a very silly reason. :P

Answer: Family.

Question: What's your motto?

Reviews are love!

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